I see that there's another thread about the durability system, but that one is just whether to remove it. I'd like to post my ideas about how the durability system can stay but be turned from a penalty into something good.
Basically...
The basic function of repair is this: your items start out good and eventually become bad until you get them repaired. Let's break that down.
"Your items" is your weapons, tools, and armor.So, your gear decays by 100% until/unless you see a crafter.
"Start out" is their basic, pristine, new-subligar smell.
"Good" is 100% and "Bad" is 0%.
"Get them repaired" is really synonymous with "see a crafter."
There are a lot of problems with this. And by "problems" I mean "things players really hate so they cancel their subscriptions."
The Problems
They are:It's like the Drowning Game. You know, where you gotta keep working really hard just to stay above water, and then you die. (Trust me, it's not as fun as it sounds.)
- Gear that is less than 100% can't be sold to other players.
- Gear has substandard performance as it approaches 0%.
- Players have to constantly repair their gear just to try to stay near the baseline (100%).
It's a hassle from an adventuring standpoint, and it's crappy from the crafting point of view too. It costs you time and inventory space, and it costs somebody repair materials, and of course if you don't do it then you gotta live with yourself 'cause you know that playing with broken equipment sucks. Crafters have better ways to make money, even when they're not running a charity.
But the complaints against durability aren't really new. It isn't popular because it's a penalty that never goes away.
The Solution
There's a way to salvage durability. A magical way that makes everybody (less un)happy, a way that doesn't require scrapping the system or making drastic changes to the code. It's called: spin doctoring.
Instead of a system where gear decays from 100% to 0%, use a system where gear decays from 200% to 100%. Here's the proposal:It's still a system where your gear decays by 100% until/unless you see a crafter, except now it isn't a penalty.
- Make gear start at 100% and stay at 100% until/unless you see a crafter.
- Let crafters bring your gear up to 200% by enhancing it with crystals or materia or whatever. Not inventory-killer like rare scraps of animal hide or glue, but pure phlebotinum here.
- For an added bonus and extra flavor, let each craft have a special ability. E.g. blacksmiths can "Keen" a weapon to give it a sharper edge (better accuracy and damage) and alchemists can "Elementalize" gear to give it a resistance/affinity bonus.
For the adventurer, it becomes more of an optional thing. You don't need to get gear buffs if you're just farming, and you don't need to level a crafting job if you don't want to. For the crafter, it's no longer a duty/obligation. Is that fellow just farming? Then don't bother buffing his gear for a measly 1g. Is he doing an HNM? Maybe he'll be willing to pay.
The Conclusion
The problem with the current system is that it is a chore. It isn't fun, and it feels like work. I know that playing FFXIV is going to be a lot of work, but the trick to an MMORPG being successful is that it shouldn't feel like a job.
The TL;DR version:
- Replace durability/repair with equipment buffs that gradually wear off.
- Get rid of inventory-hogging repair materials.
If you agree, *like* this post and discuss below!
If you disagree, *like* this post and provide your positive feedback below!
♣: Knock knock.
♦: Who's there?
♣: The Spin Doctors.
♦: The Spin Doctors who?
♣: Well, that's the music industry for you.